Minestrone di Verdure

|A warming bowl of minestrone is always a cheery sight on a cold night. This soup is an excellent way to use up any vegetables you have about. It's a classic version of the Italian soup by Antonio Carluccio. Make it a more substantial meal with a hunk of toasted bread or add some Parma ham prosciutto cooked ham or bacon chunks.|basil broccoli carrots celery courgette french beans leek potatoes tomatoes|1 carrot1 onion2 celery stalks1 leek1.5 vegetable stock1 broccoli head6 french beans1 courgette1 potato1 tomato40g macaroni1 bay leaf1 tablespoon fresh basil2 tablespoon olive oil|Dice the carrot and the onion. Slice the celery stalks and the leek. Divide the broccoli into florets. Cut the french beans and the courgette in 2 cm pieces. Peel the tomato remove the seeds and chop it. In a large pot heat the oil and sauté the carrot onion and celery until lightly browned. Add the stock bay leaf and broccoli and bring to the boil. Add the leek french beans salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes then add the courgette and macaroni and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato remove the bay leaf stir in the basil and serve.|15.00 minutes|6|Great Italian Chefs